Marketing, advertising & media intelligence

World-first alert! The next piece in the rather large ASB puzzle was released on Sunday, with 50 New Zealand consumers playing their part in what the campaign creators believe to be the world's first-ever ‘mobile ad-venture’, an "immersive film" called Lost that was created to promote its new mobile banking services.

The lead character is a hapless screenwriter (@AlpacAndy on Twitter) who, with his ASB Personal Banker Luke Jackson (as with all Droga5's new Creating Futures stories, Jackson is a real ASB staff member), sets out to find his lost iPad and ensure his pitch for the gripping romp, the tour de force that is Alpaca Avengers goes smoothly. The initiative is described as a "mobile advertisement for its mobile services to its mobile audience". And it combines active participants interacting with real locations, social media and mobile devices.

The real life mobile ad-venture was filmed to produce an online video (which will be released on Monday 13 December on creatingfutures.co.nz) that tells the story of the digital initiative and how it came to be. The 50 participants started their search for Andy's elusive iPad at ASB Ponsonby and, using their mobile devices and laptops, were shown clues on where to go next. The catch was that each clue-filled episode could only be watched in the location where it was filmed.

People outside Auckland or unable to make the real-life event were also able to participate via ‘Brainpower’, the digital version of the event, by heading to creatingfutures.co.nz and clicking ‘Lost’. They were then able to take part in an online version that replaced the location-based elements with a series of tricky questions specially tailored to nerds.

There were plenty of prizes up for grabs to reward those who were able to locate the lost iPad, including, as you would imagine, iPads, smartphones (provided by Vodafone) and a range of vouchers.

Twitter played a key role in recruiting the participants. And the episodes star a number of 'social media personalities', as well as a special guest appearance from Keisha Castle Hughes.

Deborah Simpson, ASB general manager brand and marketing says the treasure hunt was developed to support the recent launch of ASB’s mobile website together with enhanced internet banking optimised for smartphones.

“It’s part of our commitment to being where our customers are, also exemplified by the launch of our Virtual Branch on Facebook."

It's kind of like orienteering 2.0, and while orienteering isn't cool, this is. It's also a tangible example of some of the innovations that might be around the corner with the increase in smartphone usage in New Zealand allowing more location-based marketing campaigns. Still, on the whole, the creating futures campaign has received mixed reviews. The Sunday Star Times piece about a 'flurry' of complaints to the ASA about the IVF ad was a beat-up, but, as everyone knows, banks are sneaky and portraying a bank as nice and human is a pretty tough sell. It's certainly created a point of difference from its competition, but not always in a good way. The rebrand was on the receiving end of Deborah Hill Cone in the Herald, who criticised ASB for patronising her with "presumptuous bank advertising with smiley faces exhorting me to build my future". Judging from the comments on StopPress, it seems she's not alone.

If we find you doing these things, your comments will be edited without recourse and you may be asked to go away and reconsider your actions.
We respect the right to free speech and anonymous comments. Don’t abuse the privilege.

It’s no easy feat to cut through the noise in the cosmetics aisle at the grocery store, but spotting a hole in the market, Earthwise Group managed to do just that. We take a look at this year's best emerging brand/business.

Couldn't agree more. It's everyone's problem now but brought on mostly by selfish farming practices. Rather than trying to get everyone behind it, they should be reporting on what they are doing to clear it up and provide regular updates.

1. Pollute waterways 2. Deflect blame to the general public This is definitely a 'you' problem, DairyNZ. The rest of us already do want clear waterways... that's kind of the point. Manifesto advertising doesn't work when your brand is trying ...

Genius From Elsewhere

1

John Lewis has called on Elton John for its Christmas spot this year, telling a story of how the musician found a love for music. With some questioning the intent of the spot, considering John’s upcoming tour, Adweekinvestigates how it all came to be.

2

An empowering wheelchair, a simple sofa and genius pantyhose are among Time’s 50 Best Inventions of 2018. The full list has now been shared online.

3

The National Business Review and its publisher Todd Scott have threatened to sue Newsroom for an article believed to defame NBR and Scott. The article in question covered former finance minister Steven Joyce's legal complaints over a Matthew Hooton column. According to Newsroom's report, NBR is demanding the article's removal, an apology and $15,000 towards costs.

4

While supermarkets and department stores deck the halls with their Christmas adverts, Burberry has gone for a more minimalist, yet star-studded video this year. The fashion brand opts to steer clear of that warm fuzzy festive feeling.

5

With all industries in Britain still in the dark about what a post-Brexit future holds, the Advertising Association and the Creative Industries Federation have weighed in on the subject. The Drum reports the AA is running a campaign to ensure the UK creative sector can continue to flourish regardless of what happens next.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Why we like it: Clever Kash is back in the latest advert by ASB, but instead of telling us how to save money, he's focused on teaching kids how to save lives. First aid is an important skill for everyone, and empowering children to be able to make critical decisions when a loved one is hurt or unwell is nothing but a good thing.

Who's it for: White Ribbon by in-house team and Ocean Design and Lot23

Why we like it: No one can deny that New Zealand has a serious problem with violence, particularly violence towards women. It's heartening to see a bunch of White Ribbon ambassadors open up the conversation and invite all men – regardless of whether they've ever been violent or not – to stand up against the culture of violence in this country.

Who's it for: Tower Insurance by Barnes, Catmur & Friends Dentsu

Why we like it: Insurance ads tend to follow a similar pattern, but this one injects a touch of humour to make it memorable. We all know accidents are a huge disruption to a well-curated daily routine, but Tower has the solution.